Aspendos, Perge and Termessos are three entirely different ancient sites, each offering a distinct experience. This guide covers what to expect at each one, how to get there and how to combine them into an efficient day or two of exploration by hire car from Belek.

Aspendos – The World’s Best-Preserved Roman Theatre

What Is Aspendos?

Aspendos was a prosperous city of ancient Pamphylia, flourishing under Greek, Persian and then Roman rule before eventually declining in the Byzantine period. Its theatre — built around 155 AD by the architect Zeno, almost certainly with funds donated by a wealthy local merchant — is the finest surviving example of Roman theatre architecture anywhere in the world. Not the largest, not the oldest, but the best preserved: the stage building stands to its full original height of two storeys, the seating tiers are almost complete and the acoustics remain extraordinary.

What to See at Aspendos

The theatre is the centrepiece and deserves at least an hour of your time. Climb to the upper tiers for the best view of the stage building and the surrounding landscape. The Roman aqueduct — several kilometres of arched channels running across the plain — is visible from the upper seats and worth seeking out as you leave the site. The ancient city itself extends across a large acropolis hill behind the theatre, with the remains of a basilica, agora and nymphaeum, though these are less well preserved and less visited than the theatre.

In June and July, Aspendos hosts the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival — performances are staged in the theatre itself, which remains acoustically perfect without amplification. If your visit coincides with the festival, attending a performance here is an exceptional experience.

Practical Information for Aspendos

Distance from Belek: 15 kilometres east on the D400, then north on the Aspendos road. Around 20 minutes by car.

Drive: Take the D400 east from Belek toward Serik, then follow the brown tourist signs north to Aspendos. The road is well signposted from the D400 junction.

Entry: Around 300 Turkish lira per person. The site is open daily.

Time needed: One and a half to two hours including the acropolis area.

Best time to visit: Early morning before tour groups arrive, or late afternoon when the light on the stone is warmest.

Perge – A Complete Ancient City in Remarkable Condition

What Is Perge?

Perge was one of the most important cities of ancient Pamphylia — a wealthy, cosmopolitan urban centre that reached its peak in the second and third centuries AD under Roman rule. Unlike many ancient sites which offer isolated monuments amid fields of rubble, Perge presents something closer to a complete city. Its colonnaded main street, baths, agora, theatre, stadium and monumental gate are all visible and give a genuine sense of the scale and ambition of Roman urban planning.

Perge is also notable as one of the cities visited by St Paul on his first missionary journey, described in the Acts of the Apostles. A plaque near the ancient gate marks this connection.

What to See at Perge

Enter through the Roman Gate and walk north along the colonnaded main street — the central channel that once carried water through the city is still visible between the column bases, and water still flows through it today. To the right lie the well-preserved Roman baths, one of the most complete bathing complexes surviving from the ancient world. To the left, the agora — the ancient marketplace — retains its enclosing colonnade on three sides.

At the far northern end of the site, the Hellenistic Gate is the most monumental entrance in Pamphylia — a horseshoe-shaped courtyard flanked by two round towers, with a nymphaeum behind it that once featured an elaborate water display. The stadium, lying just outside the main entrance, held around 12,000 spectators and is one of the largest and best-preserved in the ancient world. Walk its full length along the vaulted substructure for a sense of its extraordinary scale.

The sculptures and artefacts excavated from Perge — including a famous series of statues depicting the imperial family — are displayed in the Antalya Archaeological Museum, which is well worth visiting alongside the site itself.

Practical Information for Perge

Distance from Belek: Approximately 20 kilometres west, just outside the town of Aksu. Around 25 minutes by car.

Drive: Take the D400 west from Belek toward Antalya. Just before Aksu, follow the brown tourist signs north to Perge. The site is clearly signposted.

Entry: Around 300 Turkish lira per person. The site is open daily.

Time needed: Two to three hours to cover the main monuments thoroughly.

Best time to visit: Morning, before the heat of the day. There is limited shade on the main colonnaded street.

Termessos – The Mountain Citadel Alexander Left Alone

What Is Termessos?

Termessos is unlike any other ancient site in the region. Set at an altitude of over 1,000 metres in the Güllük Mountain National Park, it is a Pisidian city that was never conquered — not by Alexander the Great, who surveyed its walls in 333 BC and decided the effort required was not worth the prize, and not by the Romans, who eventually negotiated a treaty rather than attempting to take it by force. As a result, Termessos remained an independent city throughout its existence, minting its own coins and governing itself under its own laws.

The site is also one of the most dramatically beautiful in Turkey. The ruins sit among cedar and pine forest at the head of a steep gorge, with views across the Antalya plain to the sea. Because of its altitude and relative inaccessibility, Termessos receives far fewer visitors than Aspendos or Perge — on a weekday morning in spring or autumn you may have entire sections of the site entirely to yourself.

What to See at Termessos

The theatre is the most striking monument — carved into the mountainside at the highest point of the city, with the stage building framing a view straight down the gorge to the coastal plain far below. It is one of the most dramatically situated theatres in the ancient world. The agora, gymnasium, several well-preserved temples and an extraordinary necropolis of rock-cut tombs and free-standing sarcophagi scattered across the hillside complete the major monuments.

The walk from the car park to the theatre involves a climb of around 45 minutes on a well-maintained path through the forest. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water — the path is steep in places and there are no facilities on site. The effort is absolutely worthwhile.

Practical Information for Termessos

Distance from Belek: Approximately 60 kilometres west, in the mountains above Antalya. Around 60 to 75 minutes by car.

Drive: Take the D400 west from Belek toward Antalya, then follow the D-350 north from Antalya toward Korkuteli. After around 25 kilometres, turn left at the Güllük Mountain National Park entrance and follow the winding mountain road to the site car park.

Entry: National park entry fee plus site entry — around 200 Turkish lira in total. The site is open daily.

Time needed: Three to four hours including the walk to and from the theatre and exploration of the necropolis.

Important: The mountain road to Termessos is narrow and winding. An SUV or a car with good ground clearance is recommended. Drive carefully, particularly on the descent.

Best time to visit: Spring and autumn. Summer visits should begin very early in the morning as the climb to the theatre becomes uncomfortably hot by mid-morning in July and August.

How to Combine All Three Sites in Two Days

Day One – Perge and Aspendos

Perge and Aspendos lie in opposite directions from Belek along the D400 but can comfortably be covered in a single day. Start early at Perge — arrive by 9am before the heat builds on the exposed colonnaded street. Allow two to three hours. Drive back through Belek and continue east to Aspendos for a late lunch stop in the car park area, then explore the theatre and acropolis in the afternoon when the light is at its best. Return to Belek by early evening.

Day Two – Termessos

Devote a full day to Termessos. Leave Belek by 8am, drive west to Antalya and then north into the mountains. Arrive at the car park by 9:30am and begin the climb before the day warms up. Allow four hours on the site. On the way back, stop in Antalya Old Town for a late lunch and a walk around Kaleiçi before returning to Belek in the early evening.

Hiring a Car in Belek for Ancient Site Visits

All three sites are reachable only by private vehicle — public transport does not serve Aspendos, Perge or Termessos directly. A hire car from Belcarhi is by far the most practical solution, giving you the flexibility to arrive early, stay as long as you wish and combine sites at your own pace.

For Termessos in particular, we recommend booking an SUV given the narrow mountain road to the site. For Perge and Aspendos, any vehicle in our fleet is perfectly suitable.

Belcarhi delivers your hire car directly to your hotel in Belek — no deposit, no credit card required and full CASCO insurance with zero franchise included as standard. Contact Kadir Can to check availability and book: +90 507 650 67 69

Ancient Sites Near Belek – Quick Reference